The Pain
by really-big-HP-freak
Summary: He left her. Will Hermione ever see him again? What will she do?


The Pain  
  
The letter was clutched in her shaking hands. Gone, he was gone forever. Hermione knew that he had left this world to save everyone he cared about, yet this didn't help the ease the pain. She knew that she had to tell the other person that the letter was addressed. She ran to the top of the boy's dormitory and banged on the door. Hermione prayed the Ron Weasley would open the door, and when he did she tried to tell him but came over faint.  
  
When she came around Hermione noticed that Ron had removed the letter from her hands, had read it and was no sharing the bad news with the other boys in the dormitory. She sat up straight and began to breath heavy not aware of the fact that Ron had placed her on his bed. Ron ran over to her and placed a hand on hers. The other boys scattered out of the room when they to saw that she was awake wanting to give the other two, time alone.  
  
"It's going to be okay Hermione. Just relax." "Ron......... he's gone..." she was sobbing again even though she had told herself that she wouldn't, "he killed........... him, Ron..........he's gone!" She had flown herself into Ron's chest and cried. "I know Hermione," said Ron stroking her hair, "but he died..." his voice broke as he said it making it final, "he died to protect us." Hermione knew this and pulled away from Ron, knowing he was her last hope. "Don't you care? HE DIED!!!" she wanted to hit every part of Ron, yet she found she didn't have the energy. "I do care Hermione, The pain is so deep it feels as if my heart is bleeding to death. Don't you understand that he meant a lot to me also; you're not the only person who cared about him. Please remember that. I want him back just as bad." When Hermione looked up at Ron he to was crying. She sobbed harder, feeling bad that she had wanted to hurt him. He pulled her back into him and the two of them cried.  
  
"We should get you up to the Hospital Wing Hermione. You look a mess." Numbly she allowed Ron to take her up to Madam Pomfrey, and stood in shock while things ran through her head, as Ron told Madam Pomfrey what had happened to Hermione. She saw him playing Quidditch; he was ruffling his hair while he worked on homework. He was dueling with the Dark Lord. Ron placed a hand on her and led her to the bed and helped her into it. Hermione drifted off to sleep.  
  
She re-read the letter in her sleep that night.  
  
Dear Ron and Hermione,  
  
Harry did come across the path of Lord Voldemort, on his way back to the castle after a date with Ginny. She was not killed but is in the Hospital wing and does need some care. Harry managed to kill Lord Voldemort, before a Death Eater killed him. I am very sorry.  
  
-Lupin  
  
She awoke hot and sweaty. She hated the thought that he was really gone. Her first friend at Hogwarts, her first friend in the wizarding world. Harry Potter had been so important to her. Hermione felt silent tears trickle down her face. She couldn't bring herself to say it, to make it final. She now knew how Harry had felt after the death of Siruis Black. She pulled her self up to grab a tissue, and noticed Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister and Harry's girlfriend, her body heavily bandaged, sobbing.  
  
"Her... mione..." Ginny sobbed harder, "Is... it... it true? Did... I ... really... really... see Har-"Ginny was now crying so hard she couldn't talk. Hermione found she couldn't find her voice to answer the girl. Hermione pulled the girl gingerly onto the bed and slowly pulled her into an embrace. Tears poured down her face and into the red hair in front of her soaking it. The two girls stayed in that embrace for hours and only broke to sleep.  
  
The next few days were unbearable for both girls. Neither wanted to eat much and when they were not sleeping, they cried together. Ron visited them every chance he got. He was very depressed, yet refused to stay in the hospital wing with the girls, insisting that he needed to be around crowds. He did take a sleeping potion to comfort Madam Pomfrey. The three of them only talked of Harry's death once when Dumbledore came to ask Ginny what she had seen. Hermione spent that night drifting in and out of sleep.  
  
"Hermione." His green eyes looked into her, own brown He stood in the middle of a field were he waited for her. He looked so wonderful. Harry? She saw him plain as day. Her heart jumped. He was alive and she was the first to see him.  
  
"Hermione, I am not alive please stop getting yourself worked up about it." He moved towards her. Her heart dropped to her toes.  
  
"I need you to do me a favor." He had reached her.  
  
"O-of course, anything" She was staring at him. He was so close and he looked so real.  
  
"Stop torturing yourself, as for Ginny she could use the same advise," a small grin crossed his face, "I died because it was written in the prophecy, not because your or Ginny stopped me from attacking Lord Voldemort." He reached out and grabbed her hand. She drew a sharp breath. He felt so real, warm as a human does no cold and clammy at a ghost feels. Was he a ghost?  
  
"Hermione you need to continue on without me," She had jumped at the sound of her name. Harry ignored her jump and continued, "You still have a life to full fill. Everyone does die, yet my time came long before it should had, but by torturing yourself will NOT bring me back, do you understand?" It took her a moment to nod head, she thought she understood. What she didn't understand was why was he here if he was dead. Her eyes spilled out more tears.  
  
"Please divide out my possessions among Ron, Ginny, and yourself. You take half my gold and give the other half to the Weasley family. They were always so nice to me." He sighed as though he really wanted to see them again. "Oh and please tell Ginny that I loved her more than the world it's self." The tears in Hermione's eyes flowed faster and faster. He took his free hand and wiped the tears away.  
  
"Will I ever see you again Harry?" Her voice was shaky. He shook his head sadly.  
  
"Not in this world no. I have finished my business in the living world, what good is it for me to remain there?" Hermione could have answered that in a second but Harry wasn't done. "As for when we will meet again, it will be a long time Hermione. That is a good thing trust me." A small smile crossed his face. Two people had arrived at his side. Hermione knew at first glance who they were. She gasped. The woman, Lilly Potter came around Hermione and embraced her in a tight hug. The woman was as warm as her son.  
  
"Please Hermione," Lilly was whispering in her ear, "do your final grieving of my son tomorrow, than continue on with your life. I promise you that you shall never forget him." The woman rocked back and forth with Hermione in her arms. James Potter pulled a handkerchief out of his robe pocket and wiped her tears away.  
  
"We know how kind you were to our son and for this we are forever grateful," Hermione saw that the man was smiling at her, "we will," he pointed to his wife, son, and himself, "protect you and send you sign when you are unable to find the right answer." James had grabbed his wife's arm and pulled her away from the girl. They joined Harry once again. Harry smiled at Hermione with the saddest smile she had ever seen.  
  
"There are great things in store for you Hermione, and for the others. Please remember that I will always watch over you." And with that he dropped her hands and grabbed his parents. The three turned to walk away. Hermione was in shock still and couldn't move. She watched in horror as they faded and then disappeared, Harry looking back once to smile at her one last time. Hermione sat down in the field and sobbed.  
  
When she awoke the next morning Hermione noticed that her pillow was soaked with tears. She pulled herself out of bed and dressed for the funeral. She waited till Ron had come to visit them to tell them about her vision. Ginny sobbed when she passed on the message. Ron had to sit down. All three left for the funeral silently, while tears streamed down their faces.  
  
Only Lilly's wish the girls cried their final tears over Harry that day. Even Ron shed tears as he held the two girls hands just as Harry had held Hermione's last night. Harry's things were divided up as he wished and although it took some persuasion the Weasley's took the gold.  
  
School ended and the three split up for a while. Hermione became Headmistress of Hogwarts using Harry's help as the years went by. Ron became Defense against the Dark Arts teacher in Harry's memory, as Hermione's husband. Ginny took Madam Pomfey's place as school nurse and took care of the children never forgetting the many times that Harry was up there. Once every year the three of them (and sometimes Ginny husband Michael came to visit. He hadn't known Harry but he loved Ginny very much.) Visited Harry's grave.  
  
Many years later a very elder Hermione (now 87) was visited by her old friend in a deep sleep one late night after the longest (or what she had felt) day of her life.  
  
She found herself looking at a 17 year old Harry. He had never changed, even after all these years.  
  
"Hermione now is your time." The boy grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the gates at the end of the field that had appeared. She resisted.  
  
"No Harry. I don't want to go now. I have a wonderful life just as you promised me. I need to stay behind" She pulled the opposite way. Harry laughed. She stopped. Hermione hadn't heard that laugh for many, many years.  
  
"No Hermione, they don't need you anymore." He smiled at her. She realized that he was right the last time they had spoken, he was right this time. She allowed the boy to lead her through they large gates at the end of the field. She was with her old friend once again.  
  
The End 


End file.
